1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a storage medium for providing, by a distribution system connected to an image forming apparatus via a network, a screen for designating a time for updating firmware.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a case where firmware loaded into an image forming apparatus is updated for adding a new function, correcting a program, or the like. As a method for updating the firmware, there has been proposed a technique in which instructions for an update are provided by an operation unit of an image forming apparatus or a distribution system connected to the image forming apparatus via a network. Since the image forming apparatus is unavailable during an update of the firmware, the image forming apparatus generally updates the firmware in the middle of the night, when the frequency of use is low.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-243905 proposes a method for designating an update time for the firmware, and updating the firmware of the image forming apparatus.
However, in the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-243905, when a power source of the image forming apparatus is off, update cannot be implemented at the designated update time. Also, this method does not consider a condition in which the firmware of the image forming apparatus that does not have a function for designating the update time is switched to the firmware of a version that can designate the update time.